SIX WEEKS LATER: The Truth About What Occupy Wall Street Has Become

It has been about 6 weeks since protesters made camp in Lower Manhattan's Zuccotti Park. What was once a small band of young people has turned into a world wide demonstration — that is obvious.

But what is less clear is that the character of the movement has changed as well. That is what we realized when we spent some quality time at the camp this week to check in and see how things have progressed.

Some of the changes we observed are for the better. The protesters clearly have gained a solid understanding of how to interact with the police, especially during an arrest. It looks like their necessities (like laundry and garbage collection) are more organized as well, which is good because there are more people camping out down there.

It is those people who are making the real change at Zuccotti Park. It is, after all, an occupation and these are the occupiers. Now, instead of just being a fully dedicated band of activists, the residents of Zuccotti Park also include young runaways, convicts, and homeless people of all ages.

It isn't that the park is completely unfriendly, it's just that there is an edge to it now. Things can happen to you there at night. Not everyone is there for the cause. And it's as if Zuccotti has lost its innocence.

All of that is because the protesters can't control who comes to live in their community, and the police refuse to intervene. Last Tuesday night, there was an emergency General Assembly meeting in the park to address the dangers within. A security team has assembled, and they've resorted to shaming trouble-makers into leaving camp.

We at Business Insider have one recommendation for you, Occupy Wall Street. Leave the park for the winter and go indoors where you can control who joins you. If not, you'll expend too much energy trying to keep people safe. You can maintain a presence in Zuccotti, but choosing to live in the park on principle takes time away from the movement.

We thought your mission was to police all of Wall Street, not just one tiny park on it.